


The Genius Connection

by Snowblaze



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 18:06:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11491788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowblaze/pseuds/Snowblaze
Summary: Dr. Katherine Ellis is not a medical doctor, but a doctorate holder. She has four PhDs, a Master's degree, and two Bachelor's degrees, ranging from forensic science to French literature. A genius holding a 189 IQ, an eidetic memory, and the ability to read 10,000 words a minute, she was hired to the Behavioral Analysis Unit in the fall of 2006.Does rambling statistics and percentages sound familiar? Join Katherine as she bonds with the team and the other resident genius of the BAU, battling through trauma, pain, and cases as time progresses.





	The Genius Connection

  “Don't you even think about it! Back it up. Everybody, down! Everybody, down! I think I said watch it. I said watch it!” The unsub shouted from the video playing on the flat screen. “Please, don't.” An elderly lady, who was one of the victims, whimpered through gasps after a man near her was assaulted with a gun. The video pauses and the communications liaison, Jennifer Jareau begins her explanation of the crime just witnessed.

 “Over the past two months, the L.A. field office has been tracking a series of 4 bank robberies in the L.A. metro area. It's one individual wearing a black ski mask. He's highly skilled. It's his unique M.O. that put him squarely in our court. This happened two days ago.” Jareau elaborated as she played the latter part of the security camera recording.

  “Hello! I apologize for my tardiness!” A girl, whose almond blonde hair fluttered behind her as she ran, says as she enters the room panting. “Who's this?” Very Special Agent Derek Morgan asks, eyeing the lanky girl down with his heavenly, chocolate brown eyes. “She is the new member of the team, Dr. Katherine Ellis. I sent it out in a memo last week.” Jareau answers Morgan's question, getting a few chuckles and laughs in response.

 “JJ, you know none of us read those. It would take a miracle to even get Reid to open his email.” Special Agent Elle Greenaway responds jokingly, watching the new recruit stand awkwardly. “He would lie in the 23.7% of adults his age who haven't transitioned into the use of technology on a daily basis to complete simple tasks.” Katherine mentions, her attention going to the group of people now staring at her from the round table.

 “I think we found the female copy of Reid.” Morgan comments, watching the girl start to blush and squirm a little from embarrassment. After a few more seconds, the team's giggles ceasing to subside, Jareau makes a few annoyed snaps to gather everyone's attention again. After the final chuckle emits from Morgan, seriousness washes over the team members’ faces once again as their attention refocuses. “He's making them undress?” Hotchner asks, glancing back at the footage.

 “He takes their clothes and locks them in the vault, then he goes for the cash.” Jareau states, answering the agents question, with an addendum of needed detail. “Smart. Nobody's going to run after him butt naked.” Morgan comments, making a gesture with his hand that emphasizes the morality of that situation. “It’s also a psychological advantage.” Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid and this odd new recruit to the BAU, Dr. Katherine Ellis state at the same time, making the whole team glance at them oddly.

 “I'm s-sorry for interrupting you. You can continue.” Katherine quickly apologises, shutting her mouth quickly, her face definitely not matching the intrigued look on Reid's face. “It will make the captives feel exposed, intimidated, and much less likely to fight back.” Reid finishes the statement he was intending to make earlier, weirdly eyeing the new girl who matched, or even surpassed him at wits.

 “That, and the Mac-10 he's waving around. Boy's got a lot of firepower.” Morgan says, adding to the fact Reid stated beforehand. “But why is this case for us?” Greenaway interjects, confused upon the level of urgency the case needed in order for the BAU to be requested. “Because in the last robbery, two things changed. One, he beat the security guard nearly senseless,” Jareau elaborates, grabbing the remote and pulling up the list of victims in the robbery.

 “And two, after he made everyone undress, he forced two pairs of victims together at gunpoint, then he made them simulate sex with each other.” Jareau finishes, showing the 2 pairs of sexual offense victims. “Woah.” Greenaway gasps, probably at the last pairing. “It's remarkable. By utilizing a practical M.O. the unsub has stumbled onto a psychological signature. It's fascinating.” Reid rambles slightly, cheerful opinion viewed as odd in the eye of his co-workers. “He's a sex offender now.” Greenaway remarks.

 “Fueled by violent rage. Only our unsub doesn't know it yet. If he did, he wouldn't be robbing banks anymore.” Gideon explains, eyes locked on the screen as he ponders the unsub's violence. “So, he's a violent sex offender in denial.” Jareau paraphrases Gideon's choice of wording. “And a sexual predator who's just escalated his crimes.” Hotchner adds to Jareau’s restatement. “He’s a serial killer in the making.” Gideon states as the team nods in agreement. The meeting concludes and everyone heads out of the conference room door, hastily heading to their desks in a fashion only gained from continuous routine.

 The practiced team grabs their go-bags, leaving the newest member of the BAU in their metaphorical dust. “Hey, Katherine, right? I’m Elle, Elle Greenaway. I guess JJ forgot to inform you about go-bags. Well, I'll help you out with routine later, but right now, let's head out to the jet.” Elle introduces herself, getting a nod and smile from the new girl. The whole crew, almost simultaneously, heads out to the runway where their jet was located. They board their plane and put their bags up into the luggage departments.

 Katherine, at a loss of what to do, takes a window seat and awkwardly places her fists on her thighs, intertwining her fingers. The whole team takes seats and gets comfortable, and the plane begins its ascent. A paper comes through on the fax machine upon the plane, and Elle walks over, grabbing it. "’Stripping bandit’. That's terrible. That makes it sound like the bandit's doing the stripping.” She groans, annoyed at the press’s idiotic choice of terminology in the news report, making her way back to her seat.

 “What would you call him?” Reid asks his fellow team members. “Pervert.” Jareau answers. “Voyeur.” Katherine responds. “Scumbag.” Elle answers as well. “I'd call him an ass.” Morgan adds, before Hotchner interrupts the discussion. “Hey, focus, please. We have the details of the 4 bank robberies to learn before we get to Los Angeles.” He points out, his hand gesturing to the window for emphasis of location. “At this point is he more a bank robber or a sex offender?” Reid interjects, his confused tone evident in the delivery of the point. “Seriously. What's he going to do next, rob a bank or rape somebody?” Morgan asks.

 “I'd say we need to know more about how he robs the banks and who he chooses to victimize.” Elle states as an answer to both questions. “Why these banks and why these victims?” Hotchner questions. “Pairing these specific people together is a fantasy. If we can figure out the nature of that fantasy, we may be able to predict his targets.” Gideon explains, looking back at the case file. “In the last robbery I don't see any photos of what he made the victims actually do.” Elle comments as she inspects the surveillance videos from the most recent robbery.

 “There is a problem with this surveillance system. We're working on it.” Jareau responds, holding her coffee cup glumly. “We should hit the ground running. How should we break it down?” Hotchner asks, looking at his team as they examine the case files. “There's the high probability of a pattern to the banks. We should run a geographical profile.” Katherine suggests, looking at the person next to her who was nodding in agreement.

 “Reid, Ellis, that's yours.” Hotchner assigns the resident geniuses. “And for the sexual aspects, we need to look at the specific victimology.” Elle recommends. “You and I can go with the victim reports, see whatever surveillance footage they've got.” Hotchner divides that part of the work upon Elle and himself. “Leaves the unsub himself. We'll need his perspective.” Gideon voices, glancing at Morgan. “Crime scene.” Morgan elaborates.

 Everyone nods and begins whatever work they can do on the jet. The flight is silent, other than the occasional comment or remark about the case. Everyone is examining the cases, making sure to capture the necessary details, such as names, victimology, and locations. When they land, they head off to the department of agents and police that requested them. “So, a go-bag is a cargo bag we have that is filled with necessities. Clothes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, et cetera. You don't put any heavy books, study materials, or food in them. Water is the only necessity like that that we can take.” Elle informs Katherine, who was sitting next to her in the backseat as they drive to the department.

 “Understandable. Thank you.” Katherine graciously thanks the brunette, who nods and smiles back. “Since you're a genius, you'll probably work with Reid a lot. He's that person who knows everything about everything, and is left with most of the statistical and reading work.” Elle tells the curious genius, who nods. “He doesn't know everything about everything, though. If anyone did, they would be an entity.” Katherine corrects Elle, who chuckles in response.

 “Called it, she’s female Reid.” Morgan jokes from the front seat. “I thank you for the compliment, but based on my research of him, I only read at half his pace, although my IQ is two points higher than his. We both share an eidetic memory, though.” She responds, chuckling slightly. “You did research?” Morgan asks, confused as he makes a turn. “I wanted to see who I would be working with. I was gladly impressed.” The short girl compliments her new team members, who smile in response. “I’m flattered. Okay, this one's a keeper.” Morgan chants, causing Katherine to blush and Elle to burst out laughing.

 “Well, we're here, so I'll go tell Hotch to never fire Katherine and then we'll get serious.” Elle states, hopping out of the car chuckling. Katherine smiles and opens the door, sliding out of the SUV and hitting asphalt with a smile on her face. Her first day of work at her dream job was turning out great, but she suspected a catch was soon to come. This job was meant for the toughest of heart, those unafraid to lose parts of themselves over time. Sure, she was one of the only ones who didn’t gag or vomit when studying Edward Gein or Jeffrey Dahmer in college, but this job wasn’t just about withstanding gore. This job was also a psychological trial, one she was beginning to fear she wouldn’t pass.

 Collecting her emotions and attempting to replace them with serenity and concentration, Katherine walks into the precinct and heads to the area where her team was setting up. “Reid, Ellis, you two start the geographical profile.” Hotchner instructs almost as soon as Katherine sets her messenger bag down on the cluttered table. Reid had already grabbed a transparent map of L.A., so they place it on a clear board as everyone else is heading out on their previously appointed assignments.

 Jareau walks over after everyone is out and watches the two of them begin their work. “How do you create a geographical profile?” She asks after a few seconds of silence. “Basically, we assume the suspects will hunt close to where they live, but far enough to remain anonymous.” Reid explains to Jareau as he draws a box around streets. “Each one of these data points represents a bank robbed by our unsub, and the area where the lines intersect give us the best estimate of the unsub's living arrangement.” Katherine adds, pointing around as she continues detailing.

 “So, how many people does that narrow it down to?” Jareau asks after observing the two agents finish the geographical profile. “Couple hundred thousand.” Reid and Katherine answer in unison, looking at each other strangely afterwards. “Oh.” Jareau answers after nodding, her tone sounding discouraged. She walks away to the coffee machine, where a female officer approaches her. “Lovebirds, huh?” The officer observes, watching Reid and Katherine read through the case and try to narrow down their profile slightly.

 “Them? Oh no, they just met a few hours ago.” Jareau says, smirking as she mixes creamer in with the caffeinated drink. “No kidding.” The officer states, looking at Jareau as if she was being joked around with. “Nope.” The blonde responds, taking a sip of her coffee. “How'd they do the unison thing, then?” The officer asks, refocusing in on the two FBI agents working on the profile.

 “Great minds think alike, I guess? They did it this morning too, a few minutes after they met. It's weird, but seemingly helpful so far.” Jareau responds, watching the officer walk away, shaking her head in disbelief. She glances over at the two working geniuses, holding her coffee cup with a grin on her face. Jareau makes a mental note to call Garcia later and make a bet before walking over to the table and inspecting the case again.

 After Reid and Katherine are unable to fixate on a more specific point in the geographic profile, FBI Agent Wallace walks in the doors with Gideon and Morgan. “That's Henderson, the bank manager. Said he was so flustered after what he had been through, that when he was gathering the tapes for us, he hit the wrong buttons and erased part of them.” He stated, pointing to Henderson on the tapes, after he pulled them up.

 “You believe him?” Hotchner asks in a derisive tone. “No. I told him I thought he was embarrassed about the tapes getting out and he erased them on purpose. He denied it.” Wallace answers. “You rule out the possibility he was in on it?” Hotchner questions again. “Why would he be involved in a robbery when he had to go through something like that?” Wallace responds in a mocking tone, directed at Hotchner.

 “Maybe he didn't know what was gonna happen. Maybe he was betrayed by the unsub.” Elle suggests. “Or perhaps he was coerced. There's been many documented cases of robbers forcing bank managers to assist them with their crimes.” Reid elaborates. “32.38% of robberies, to be precise.” Katherine adds to Reid's statement. “None of that is consistent with the M.O.'s of the other robberies.” Wallace responds, shooting down Reid and Katherine’s idea.

 “Maybe there's a reason this last one was different from the others.” Morgan presents. “A call from Quantico on one.” Detective Murad calls out from his office. “Thanks.” Hotchner replies, turning towards the phone on the desk on which he was seated, and pressing the 'Speakerphone’ button. “Garcia, it's Hotch.” Hotchner answers the call.

 “Are we ready for something completely weird?” Garcia asks, her tone sounding surprised. “How weird are we talking, Garcia?” Morgan asks her. “The security footage Hotch gave me, I ran it through my software 3 times…” Garcia answers partially. “And?” Hotchner asks, annoyed at the lack of a complete answer. “And there are weird height issues. I. e., the unsub in the first three robberies is 6’1” and the unsub in the last robbery, he's 5'10".” Garcia finishes, her voice spiking a few pitches higher in the end.

 “So what? In the last robbery we're dealing with a different unsub?” Morgan questions, bewildered. “An unsub who is somehow able to erase tapes that show exactly what happened at that bank.” Hotchner states. “An unsub who may have possibly had inside help.” Reid suggests. “I think it's time we sit down with the bank manager.” Gideon announces in a commanding tone.

 They bring him in and head back for an interrogation-like questioning. Just a few minutes later, they step out, the bank manager leaving swiftly afterwards. “I think it's pretty clear what this is about.” Hotchner says. “Shame and humiliation.” Gideon replies, finishing the statement. Suddenly, Morgan's cell rings and he opens it, placing it on speakerphone. “Yeah?” He asks into the microphone.

 “Pals, don't be ticked, but I think I may have missed the sort of glaringly obvious here. Now, how would you make yourself taller without being a different person entirely or having some sort of weird chinese surgery?” Garcia explains about her earlier, misleading conversation. “Heels.” Elle answers. “Right, sunshine, but we would have seen heels, unless the unsub had them hidden inside his shoe. The point is, lifts.” Garcia elaborates.

  “Lifts.” Comes the unconvinced repeated word from Morgan. “Lifts, all hidden up inside his boot. With a little fancy footwork, pun emphatically intended, Garcia here managed to dig him out.” Garcia finishes explaining, with a little gloating towards the end of her explanation. “Thanks, girl.” Morgan responds graciously, hanging up his cell. “He's trying to throw us off, hide his real height.” Morgan discloses, adding onto the point Garcia had just made.

 “But why would he take the lifts out just for the last robbery?” Elle questions from her seat. “Maybe he's getting careless.” Hotchner answers. “Which means he's also getting more dangerous.” Reid adds. “At least we know we're only dealing with one unsub.” Morgan states, a little more of a bright joy in his voice that is from the relief of not having to find two sociopaths.

 “I think we can give our profile.” Gideon tells the team. “I'll round up the officers.” Jareau calls out, heading over to offices and desks. Reid, Morgan, Elle, and Katherine compile thoughts and files together as they wait. Once Jareau had gathered all the necessary people, the session begins.

 “Based on the knowledge that spending a significant time in prison stunts emotional growth while increasing professional skills, we can estimate this unsub went to jail between the ages of 18 and 22 and spent between 5 and 10 years inside.” Hotchner begins. “That puts him at the approximate age between 23 and 35.” Elle reports. “This guy's much more than just a bank robber though. What started out as a practical M. O., stripping his hostages, triggered a deep psycho-sexual response.” Hotchner continues.

 “In other words, when he found himself in front of a bunch of naked people under his control, he snapped, then he decided to manipulate them.” Morgan explains Hotchner’s point. “And better, or just getting worse, he's attacking banks earlier in the day when more and more people are present.” Elle continues. “This tells us he's sacrificing the safety of having just a few hostages to contain, for the satisfaction of having more subjects to control.” Morgan elaborates. “He'll be less interested in money and more interested in sadistically manipulating his captives.” Reid interjects. “In all likelihood, he'll be high on drugs.” Morgan affirms.

 “It would be wrong, however, to write this guy off as crazy. Bank robbing is an ambitious crime and it takes time and planning to pull it off.” Hotchner warns. “What makes this unsub unique is his fractured psyche. On the one hand, a cold, organized bank robber. On the other, a disorganized sexual sadist full of bottled up rage. The two parts of his psyche have just begun to bleed together, now when they finally converge, we're talking about a criminal with the skills and efficiency of a master bank robber and the rage of a suicide bomber. He will explode.” Gideon finishes explaining.

 “Sir, bank robbery in progress. Corner of Washington and Sepulveda. Kid in the back room called 911 on his cell. Said the suspect's started making people undress.” Detective Murad declares and almost everyone heads into an SUV. Jareau, Reid, and Katherine are the only ones on the team to stay behind. Awaiting news of any kind, Jareau attempts to make conversation with the new girl. “So, I heard you're a genius, like Reid here.” The blonde states.

 “I would assume so, yes. I have an eidetic memory, an IQ of 189, and can read at a pace of 10,000 words a minute, although, concluding from my research, Dr. Reid outdoes me by double on the reading pace.” Katherine elaborates on the topic. Reid, who was leaning in the board across from her, nods. “Yet, you have an IQ that is 2 points higher than mine.” He replies. Katherine, in response, also nods, giggling quietly. “Also, thank you for helping me complete the geographic profile. Although it seems simple, it takes quite a bit of knowledge in the field of psychology to complete.” Reid compliments Katherine.

 “Thank you. I have a Ph.D. in psychology.” Katherine responds, smiling. “I actually have a B.A. in psy-” Reid starts, but is interrupted. “He was on a motorcycle. He got away.” Gideon says over the radio. A sigh of anger and pain echos through the part of the team that is present, before heading to one of the back rooms. Garcia faxes over a list of names and Jareau, alongside Katherine, pull their files so everyone can examine them when they arrive back at the department.

 Once Elle arrives, Reid, Katherine, and Jareau get settled and ready to begin. “So, you're sure this is it?” Elle asks Jareau as she looks through a file. “Yeah, based on all the parameters, age, armed robbery charge, time spent in prison, approximate location of home address based on geographical profile. It's about 360 names.” Jareau states with the tone of a woman who is overworked and tired. “These guys aren't sweethearts, but there's only a handful with sex crimes on their rap sheets and none are sexual sadists.” Elle responds, sounding defeated.

 “That's not surprising. Bank robbers and gun nuts aren't typically sex offenders. That's what makes this unsub unique.” Reid notes. “What about a pimp?” Jareau asks, getting everyone to look at her in surprise and agreement. “Roland Lynch, 32 years old.” She says, revealing the male’s name. “Pimps are characteristically sociopathic and commonly sadistic. It helps control their promiscuous, violent employees.” Katherine mentions.

 “Well, this one started out robbing convenience stores before working his way into pimping.” Jareau discloses. “That's unusual. Pimps typically violate by proxy, forcing others to do the work for them, whereas, bank robbers usually operate in pairs or alone.” Reid adds. “So, he's sexually sadistic and has experience with armed robbery.” Elle puts the details together, smiling. “Along with fitting all other parameters of the profile.” Reid quickly says, his statement an addendum to Elle's comment. “All right. I'll get in touch with his parole officer.” Jareau smiles, pushing herself up off the table and out of the room, presumably to a phone to make a call.

 Katherine looks back over the file of Roland Lynch, smiling at their catch. This enjoyable feeling is why she endured years of bullying, why she pursued certain topics in college instead of becoming a world-renowned theoretical physicist like Stephen Hawking or cellist like Luka Šulić. The phone rings and Jareau returns to the room, picking it up. Her face pales slightly as she hears the information given to her, hanging up quickly. “There's been another robbery. A fourteen year-old has been shot.” She announces solemnly, before turning towards the door and catching Elle as she walks by the room. Katherine’s face drains of the happy emotion it held before and is replaced with negativity.

 “Elle.” Jareau catches the other female's attention. “Hang on.” Elle says into her phone, Morgan on the other side with Lynch in custody. “We just got another call, restaurant in the south bay. Guy came in in a ski-mask, started making people undress. He just shot a 14-year-old kid.” Jareau gripes, her voice lowering to a whisper towards the last sentence. “When?” Elle asks, her voice drained of loud vocalization as well. “10 minutes ago.” Jareau answers. “What'd she say?” Morgan asks from Elle's phone, having caught bits of the conversation through the microphone.

 “Hardcore or not, you've got the wrong scumbag.” Elle announce, venom in her tone. Morgan hangs up soon after, with what can be predicted as a frantically annoyed face. Every BAU member left at the precinct scrambles into an SUV and to the new crime scene, a somber silence in the vehicle's air. When they get there, they speed walk into the restaurant where everyone else was already, preparing to play the security footage.

 “According to witnesses, he came in and fired into ceiling. He separated all the kids from their parents.” Murad gives the rundown of the situation as the footage of this crime plays. “Then…” He states as the tape plays a son punching his mum in the face. “He's forcing the sons to hit their mothers.” Reid observes. “He started to. When he tried to get the first one to hit his mother harder, he refused, and when he refused…” Murad continues, the surveillance tape playing the younger teenager being shot. “It doesn't make sense. They're children.” Hotchner says, sadness and pain in his tone. “He's playing out a fantasy.” Gideon realizes.

 “Yeah, but it's his fantasy and someone else's children.” Hotchner remarks. “They're surrogates of some kind.” Morgan mentions. “No. You don't do this to someone else's kids to get off. You just don't do it.” Hotchner flatly verbalizes the statement that was nagging him since he heard of the death of the teenager, walking to another part of the restaurant hastily with everyone's eyes following him. “It just doesn't make sense to me. You internalize violence. You take it out on other people. Why force somebody else to do it? Why force children to act out your rage?” Hotchner rants, upset and teary-eyed. “He didn't make the children do anything at the bank. Manager said he put the parents together.” Gideon replies.

 “So, why is he so focused on the kids now?” Hotchner asks. “I want to talk to the bank manager again.” Gideon announces and they exit the restaurant and drive back to the precinct, leaving the rest of the team members there to analyze the scene. Once they've done so, with nothing new to add or edit the profile with, they also return to the department. Waiting outside the questioning room for the interview to finish, a discussion sparks up at the table.

 “Dr. Katherine Ellis. Great, another doctor in the house. Please tell me you're a medical doctor, I didn't do research.” Morgan says to the short girl as she rereads one of the case files sprawled across the table. Looking up the dreamy slice of heaven named Derek Morgan, Katherine smiles. “I am not a medical doctor, though I do have a MS in biology.” She elaborates on the thought. “Well, what are your degrees? We all know Pretty Boy over here has 3 PhDs and 2 BAs.” Morgan asks.

 “I have 4 PhDs, which are in the subjects of chemistry, psychology, criminology, and forensic science. I have a Master's in biology, as I stated earlier, and 2 Bachelor's, one in French literature and another in mathematics, as well as a phlebotomy certificate.” Katherine explains her college degree achievements, watching a few eyes watch her in awe. “French literature, huh? Why?” Elle asks. Katherine is about to answer when Gideon marches over and says, “The robber apologized.”

 “He apologized. Sadists don't apologize. They gloat, maybe, but they don't apologize.” Elle asserts. “Our guy's not a sadist. We got that part of the profile wrong.” Gideon acknowledges. “He doesn't derive any sadistic pleasure from these fantasies, they're, eh, more like a compulsion.” Elle continues. “Compulsion that's literally life or death? I mean, if anyone interferes, he kills them. It's like he's compelled to direct these fantasies using these people as actors.” Reid elaborates.

 “Actors on a stage, it's a play.” Morgan reflects. “It's a psychodrama.” Katherine and Reid say simultaneously. Everyone pauses and looks at them oddly yet again. “First, that's weird, and second, what's a psychodrama?” Jareau asks. “It's a…” The duo start in unison again, pausing until Reid gestures for Katherine to continue. “It's a form of psychotherapy whereby actors serve as surrogates for actual people in the patient's life.” Katherine answers in full. “Incorporates many elements of theatre, including an audience.” Gideon mentions.

 “There was a very famous pilot program at the San Luis Obispo county jail in the mid-nineties.” Reid states. “Isn't that just a couple hours away from here?” Jareau asks, concerned. “Let's go over the suspect list and see how many of them did time in San Luis Obispo.” Hotchner orders. “Or, we can let my baby girl work her magic.” Morgan counters, dialing her number on his phone. “You've reached the hotspot of all things smart, down and dirty. How can I help you?” Garcia answers jokingly.

 "Save the naughty talk for later, baby girl. For now, I need you to check to see if anyone on original list of suspects went to San Luis Obispo in the mid-nineties.” Morgan asks. “The answer is 4.” Garcia answers after a small interval of quick typing. “Come on. Tell me you narrowed it down a little more than that.” Morgan whines from this end. “Only two live in state, but only 1 lives in L.A.” Garcia replies tauntingly. “Ha, atta-girl.” Morgan smiles in relief. “Caleb Dale Sheppard, last known address 236 Harbor Lane, Inglewood.” Garcia answers, her smile evident in her tone. “Thanks, mama.” Morgan smiles wider, hanging up his cell.

 “That's only 1.6 miles from the last restaurant that he hit.” Katherine and Reid, once again, speak in unison. Jareau, with an odd look at her face, glances at Katherine. “I've been studying a lot of L.A. maps.” She mutters. “If he's been attacking that close to home, he's given up any interest in protecting his identity.” Hotchner asservates. “We need to all go down there and split up, half to his address, half patrol in the area around the restaurant in case he's on the hunt.” Gideon commands, and everyone gets up, grabbing their stuff and splitting up into two teams.

  Reid, Gideon, Hotchner, and Murda go to Sheppard's last known place of residence, and Morgan, Elle, and Katherine patrol the area around 236 Harbor Lane. After a long time of circling, Morgan gets a call from Hotchner. “Dale Daybreak Hotel.” Is all Hotchner has to say before Morgan is barreling towards the hotel. He parks in the entryway and the three of them roll out and to the receptionist. Morgan holds his badge up to the pane as Elle holds a photo up to it as well. The lady slides down a key, 117 embroidered on the blue fabric. The three of them dash to the door, before Katherine realizes something dire. “Wait!” She whispers harshly. “My firearm won't be issued to me till next week. Morgan, can I use your backup?” She hisses, frightened. Morgan quickly unsheathes a small pistol from a holster on his leg and hands it to the short girl.

 “Sheppard, F. B. I.!” Morgan shouts through the door. “Key?” Elle asks. “No, I got one.” Morgan says, kicking in the door. The three of them enter, guns raised, clearing the rooms. “Clear!” Elle shouts. “Yeah, it's clear here, too.” Morgan announces from the bathroom. “Morgan. Crystal meth.” Elle notes, the white powder covering her index finger in a thin film. “Oh, he's got to be halfway out of his mind by now.” Morgan remarks. “His mind is under the influence of those methamphetamines, explaining why he left his mask behind.” Katherine mentions.

 Examining the room more, Morgan peeks through the blinds. “Well, it looks like he's on foot. Here's his bike.” Morgan reveals. “I'm calling Hotch.” He says, dialing his superior. “Yeah?” Hotchner answers once he picks up the phone. “Look, he's not here. From the looks of it, he just left. Hotch, he's tweaking. He's unmasked and he's probably on foot.” Morgan explains the current situation. “All right, stay there. Call if there's any sign of him.” Hotchner orders. “Okay. You too.” Morgan responds, hanging up.

 “What do you think Sheppard's doing now?” Elle asks, fear inscribed in her tone. “Based on his devolving attacks, there's the high probability he is on his way to a place with a lot of families, perhaps a park, pool, or a child-friendly birthday party. He is going there to force his delusional fantasy onto more children.” Katherine reluctantly answers Elle's question, glancing out the broken door frame. “Poor kids.” Elle mutters gently, her tone dismal.  
 “He is out of his mind on meth, let’s hope he’s so strung out he runs out into the road and is hit by an eighteen-wheeler before he hurts anyone else.” Morgan mutters. “Unfortunately, I think he will make it to the kids. There are several gathering sites around here that kids would flock too. He may high, delusional, and psychotic, but he is determined.” Katherine contradicts pessimistically as she looks around the room, remembering every sickening, disgusting detail of the effect of Sheppard’s psychosis on his living order.

 The room becomes silent as the three BAU agents anticipate a call from Hotchner or Gideon for news, good or bad. When Morgan’s phone rings, everyone jumps before he answers it, hoping the news isn’t as negative as Katherine proposed. Morgan’s smile turns up first and the girls breathe a sigh of relief as a look of happiness appears on Morgan’s desirable face. “Okay, got it.” The male agent states happily into the phone before hanging up. “He was at a birthday party, almost made a kid shoot his mom. Hotchner shot him in the shoulder before anyone was harmed. We got him.” Morgan proclaims as Elle pops her fist up in a celebratory manner, Katherine nodding as her celebratory expression.

 “Well, wheels are up in 30 so we should head back to the station, grab our stuff, and head out.” Morgan announces and everyone rushes to the SUV, exhaustion finally showing upon their features. Katherine starts leaning her head against the window, watching L.A.’s roads and buildings flash by as the car drove. Before she can register it, she dozes off, case having taken its toll on her smaller, new-to-the-horrifying-aspects-of-the-BAU body.

 “And we have arrived at our destination, ladies.” Morgan smirks as he turns to unbuckle his seatbelt after parking. “Or just one lady and one dozing damsel.” He chuckles quietly as he reaches back and shakes Katherine’s arm. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, wake up.” Morgan pesters her, shaking her awake with another jostle of her arm. “I’m awake.” Katherine mumbles as she leans her head up from the window. “Where’s your stuff? I’ll get it, and let you sleep.” Elle asks from next to her, ushering Morgan out of the car with an index finger pointing outside.

 “On the table. Black messenger bag.” Katherine grumbles, rubbing her eyes with her jacket-clothed palms. “Go back to sleep. The first few cases are always the worst.” Elle soothingly says, patting the girl's shoulder before hopping out of the car as the other SUV pulled up. Tugging over the first person who exits that car, she looks at them. “Spencer, stay with her. I know it's not usually what we do when someone is sleeping, but she's new, super tired and we didn't want to move her. Besides, you'd get to know her better since she's staying. We really like her, you will too.” Elle instructs Reid, slightly pushing him into the car with Katherine.

 “I can get in here on my own. And I wouldn't have objected, it's great to connect with someone else who has a similar understanding of things.” Reid tells Elle, hopping up into the backseat. “Also, where's your go-bag?” Elle asks as she begins to walk to the entrance. “It is under the table where we worked in the precinct, next to the stained violet chair.” Reid finishes the conversation before turning his attention towards the new member of the team. She was looking out the window, hand propping her chin up, barely noticing the other person in the car in her tired haze. “Elle?” The girl asks quietly, her tone drained from fatigue.

 “No. It's Spencer, Dr. Spencer Reid. We haven't formally introduced ourselves to each other.” Spencer nervously greets. “Spencer. That name originates from England and means provider. I’m Katherine, Dr. Katherine Ellis.” She introduces herself, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Katherine is Greek for pure. It also has roots in Latin and Irish.” Spencer, in return, explains her name. Katherine smiles, glancing at the lanky male who was avoiding eye contact. “You must be tired, I shouldn't bother your sleep. I’m sorry.” Spencer apologises, adjusting his seating position to accommodate the girl who had begun to lean his way.

 “Based on the fact that we just met quite recently and the list of formalities associated with that, this is out of character and manners, but would you mind if I rested on your shoulder? The window sleeping position has already given me a trapezius muscle cramp.” She asked quickly, an embarrassed flush filling her tired cheeks with a coral pink shade. “I don't mind. You're not imposing anything sexual or romantic, and it is a friendly gesture, so I see nothing wrong with it. Based on how we talked and associated earlier, we have befriended one another, right?” Spencer replies after buckling himself into the seat nearest hers.

 Katherine nods, smiling in her fatigue as she places her head on Spencer's shoulder and snuggles into the warmth emitting from it. She's sound asleep just a few moments later, when everyone enters the car after placing their bags in the trunk. Morgan looks into the back, smirking at the sight. “Already letting the girl you just met sleep with you? Nice one, lover boy.” He remarks jokingly, his tone quiet as to let the girl continue in her slumber. “Morgan, she was tired. We agreed that this wasn't romantic nor sexual. It's a friendly mannerism, and we also agreed that we were friends.” Spencer responds, looking at the girl who was resting on his shoulder.

 It just happened to be at that moment, when everyone is looking looking, when the unconscious mind of Katherine compels her to wrap her arms around Spencer's arm and cuddle with it. “Yeah, not romantic at all.” Morgan laughs, beginning to drive to the airstrip. “Spence, take this time to sleep. It'll keep the comments from Morgan at bay, and you'll finally get the rest your genius brain has been begging for.” Elle instructs as she turns herself back to the front.

 Spencer ponders Elle's idea for a moment before looking down at the crown of Katherine's head and shifting. He leans down, placing his head upon hers and shutting his eyes. He drifts off into a slumber quickly, unable to notice the phones being held up as they take pictures of them. “Garcia has officially started a betting pool. I'll send her these, see what she'll do.” Elle states, giggling childishly as she texts the pictures to their computer technician.

 “Twenty dollars that they’ll be together within the month.” Morgan states, laughing as they park at the landing pad. “Geniuses, we're here.” Elle chants into the back of the SUV, waking them up. Katherine releases Spencer's arm as she yawns, allowing Spencer to shake circulation back into his forearm. “I apologise for clenching your arm.” She says awkwardly, rubbing her shoulder as she looks down, embarrassed.  “It's alright. You have a youthful tendency to cling to objects in your sleep as a psychological measure that ensures a sense of protection.” Spencer tells her, unbuckling his seatbelt and exiting the car.

 Katherine follows in his metaphorical footsteps, hopping out of the SUV and waiting to continue the conversation. “I do know why I grab and cuddle with things in my sleep. When I was in college, my psychology teacher and I engaged in a session long conversation about my sleeping habits.” The almond blonde responds, boarding the plane. Since her sleepiness had ebbed slightly due to her recent nap, her need to sleep wasn't as strong. Because of that, she went to sit in one of the normal seats and not the couch.

 “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, why aren't you taking the couch? Aren't you tired?” Morgan asks as he sees Katherine buckle into her airplane seat. “Yes, but I have slept some, and I don't have the dire need to do it again so soon.” She responds as she relaxes into the chair. “Uh huh. You sure you don't want the couch?” Morgan tempts with a luxurious smile. Katherine caves in, unbuckling her seat belt and sliding onto the couch, a smile gracing her face.

 As the jet takes off, Katherine lays down in the fetal position, falling asleep quickly. Elle smiles and walks over, pulling the blanket down and over the sleeping female genius. Everyone else begins to relax and their fatigue hits them like a train. Soon, almost everyone is asleep, excluding Morgan, who’s in a daze as he listens to music, and Gideon and Hotchner, who are having a discussion. “You okay?” Gideon asks the distracted agent, who was glancing out the window.

  “I was showing those trainees around the offices the other day. They all want to be in the BAU. I told them what a great job it is. And they even applauded when the tour was over.” Hotchner responds, melancholy evident in his voice. “I heard.” Gideon chuckles in a sardonic way. “Yeah, but I didn't really tell them the truth. I didn't tell them what it's like to spend your days in this hell.” Hotchner sighs, pain in his tone. “It's fun, huh?” Gideon states, no actual laughter or happiness alive in his statement.

 “I mean, who's to blame for somebody like Sheppard? His mother? Broken home? Society? All of it? None of it? It gets worse and worse with each case.” Hotchner whines in a saddened tone. “Save one life, we save the world.” Gideon responds, chuckling a smidgen happier this time. “Well, the one thing I didn't tell the trainees.” Hotchner begins. “What's that?” Gideon inquires. “We do not get paid enough.” Hotchner remarks, smiling. “You got that right.” Gideon laughs in response. “Well, did you hear about the betting pool the computer girl set up for Spencer and the new girl, Katherine, I think?” Gideon asks Hotchner, increasing the happiness of the mood.

 “Yeah. I heard that JJ had put down 50 dollars on them getting together by the end of the month.” Hotchner answers, chuckling. “They do seem to have a connection.” Gideon responds, watching the new addition to the team lie on the spot of the couch that Spencer normally occupied. “I don't know. A connection doesn't always equal love.” Hotchner sighs and Gideon nods.

 “Time will only tell.”


End file.
